Because preparedness is something very dear to me, I have made it a personal goal of mine to get as many people prepared as I can. The most important tool I can provide through this website is empowerment through knowledge and resources, for myself and others. Education, family-based preparedness, and survival kits may make all the difference when life presents you with a disaster. I have challenged Ready Nutrition readers to beef up their preparedness efforts in order to get ready for life’s unexpected events.

The 52 Weeks to Preparedness series is an extension of that challenge. This series will help each of you begin creating a preparedness foundation that you and your family can rely on when unexpected situations present themselves. On this 52 week long journey, each week will build upon our existing preparedness items as well as focus on a different preparedness layer.

You can visit every week in order, or skip around to see if there are any tips, strategies or scenarios you may have missed:

79 Comments

Would like you to emphasize the importance of communications. I am a licensed ham operator and volunteer in my local community with different events as well as emergency preparedness with my local county emergency management, which is now for better or worse under the umbrella of FEMA & Homeland Security. This is just an observation from local drills. Large scale incidents will require a lot of local volunteers to make a serious impact on helping large amounts of the population. I think individuals with survival preparedness dramatically helps with the burden all the local responders will have to help restore some basic level of organization and services. Ham radio is a way to have not only communications across a broad range of radio spectrum, but digital modes like email, albeit slow email, but email none the less, wireless, with no commercial power and no internet. Many hams are familiar with many of the topics discussed here. Take care and get prepared and get involved in your local emergency management. 73’s

Why is this idiotic? YOU’RE the “idiot” if you think one word @TJ wrote was unnecessary and/or wrong. Ham Operators usually catch “the ham bug” when they’re younger, children of ham radio operators, or possibly Boy/Girl Scouts etc, or even just folks. They train for this very scenario quite regularly and often! Go ahead and believe any of this stuff is “stupid” – you’ll kiss the ground that ham radio operator walks on when it’s the ONLY way you can get info to, or from, your family and know that they’re either safe or in danger! (Or dead, but I’m not wishing that on anybody.) Who’s the idiot now?

You are spot on, (Sir?), I’m quite familiar w/ these exercises as my Dad, (God rest his soul, called Silent on 1-15-99, W3HVS), was part of the Treasure Coast Weather-warn as well as any number of of other org. down thru the years. He was signal corp in the 50’s, so you know where he caught the bug! My lullabies at night was his patching thru VietNam soldiers to their families, (still makes me cry!) calling roll call or “CQCQCQ, CQCQCQ” My Dad was the greatest. I used to sit and just listen, but I never got the hang of understanding thru the static!! My brother is RB Blackwell II KD4VAC

Oh and there should be a goodly number of “stepped on” cb’s out there for the taking to help too. Dad sure hated my CB but hey, whatever works in a situation like that, eh? 😉 Good for local anyway, and stepped on, well there’s no telling. I’ve caught folks 40 miles or more away! THAT was during the day too!

You got the Dreamseeker here. Y’all take care and catch you on the flip side!

@Anathule, I realize you posted this 2 years ago but just wanted to say: God bless and thanks to your Dad and the others who patched through calls from Vietnam. My husband was one of those whose calls were patched through. It was wonderful to be able to talk with him.

Oh @JudyMae – I had to stop bawling before I could see to type!! And I was bawling HARD!!! I was always proud of Dad but this was the thing/action that always made me the proudest of all! I LOVED to sit and listen in the evening when he did most of the “patching through”. Saturdays and Sundays too a lot of the time. Oh my dearest lady, you have made my YEAR to know this! God bless you and your husband – maybe Dad already knows this if your husband has passed on – God would have had them meet in heaven! Now I’m getting all teary eyed again, so I’ll quit while I’m ahead and not belabor this! 🙂 May the Grace of God touch you both. THANK YOU!

I came across this and have been researching alternative ways to grow your own food and wanted to share this with your viewers and show them how realistic it can be to use this method of food for survival as well.

Enjoy this short presentation of a farm here in Hawaii sharing their knowledge with the world to become more secure in growing and producing your own food. http://www.friendlyaquaponics.com/

I would like to reply to TJ’s blog on Ham Radio’s. I agree that as long as there is electricity that Ham radio’s will be indispensible. However, having said that, I question how Ham operators will provide additional help if the electrical grid goes down. If one researches the Carrington Effect at all, EMP’s are at least a serious possibility. That takes out all of the Ham radio operator’s equipment except those who specifically have protected their equipment against Electro Magnetic Pulses (EMP’s). Loss of electricity also makes the use of any traditional email, snail mail, land lines (home phones), cell phones or Ham radio useless ventures.

Having said that, I do agree with being as prepared as possible. That includes those ham radio operators who also have a backup power supply and sufficient fuel for them to make them able to operate. I sure hope that a lot of the licensed ham operators are as prepared as they can be. Communications is going to be vital in any serious emergency scenario.

Automobiles, too, as long as fuel holds out. And there’s always those vehicles already, (and in the future), fitted out to take biofuels, which will be harder to find/make after the shtf, but not impossible. I’m saying “harder” on account many biofuels are easier made w/ the vast amounts of used oils and animal fats that our society produces now, as opposed to no food joints and no massive slaughterhouses w/ all that extra fat, etc., etc., in the possible future.

(Yes, I know this is three years, or more, later, but I got an upvote recently, so folks ARE still reading this article!)

Myself and most of my buddies have at least one and usually more radios in an old microwave or metal garbage can to protect them from emp. I also have old tube gear not hooked up sitting on the shelf which will be immune. For power we have solar, generators, and batteries enough to stay on the air for months if not years.

Please don’t assume that a microwave is going to shield your gear. The frequencies that EMP / Flares operate on are not sufficently shielded by a microwave. A much better alternative is to wrap the device in plastic, insert into a mylar bag and then store in a paint can or old popcorn tin depending on size. If you use a used paint can make sure that the lid and can mating surfaces are clean. Then store it in your paint locker in the garage and who’s going to look twice at a can with paint drips on it mixed in with all the other cans you have. PIck up a holiday themed popcorn tin and eat the corn then put a strip of masking tape on it and write xmas lights on it and store that in the attic along with the other decorations.

Bruce,
You raise excellent questions and concerns regarding the Carrington Effect and EMP’s. Yes, there is a high probability that most (if not all) unshielded electronic equipment (to include most Ham radios) will be rendered useless.

However, a great many Hams, especially those involved in Amateur Radios in Emergency Service (ARES) are aware of this risk and have either shielded their equipment by way of “Faraday cages”, or have classic tube radios that are impervious to EMPs.
Furthermore, most of us have multiple power supplies (batteries, generators, solar chargers, etc… (also protected) for just such emergencies.

An interesting side note about emp”s I remember one of the 3 major Tv networks had a show in which a Russian scientist had defected to the USA and he demonstrated a portable EMP device with which he was capable of totally disabling a modern Chevy Corvette as well as a Cobra Helicopter with all it’s modern weapon systems. We thought the Russians were idiots because they never updated their jet fighters with semiconductor electronics, and they were still suing “old tube technology” to run their aircraft and communications, know we find out that this old “tube technology” is the only impervious technology that is unaffected by EMP “pulse wave ” based weapons. So the next nuclear war our jets will b3e down and out if not shielded from EMP’s while theirs will still be flying.

This website and your newsletters will no doubt save some lives along the way. I LOVE how much I learn!!
I never thought much about preparing for emergencies other than tornadoes. Now, I look at the big picture and realize the importance of being prepared for ANYTHING!!
Fortunately, being the founder of a paranormal investigative team, I have many pieces of equipment that most people do not.

The depth of a person’s emergency preparedness lies with them. If they want to prepare for more likely disasters such as storms, fires, etc., then they should gather those necessary items. There are those, however, that want a more well-rounded preparedness supply to help them with longer-term disasters, such as economic collapse (something Greece and Italy are seeing first hand), personal disasters such as loss of income or even nuclear threats (something we are seeing with the Fukiskima disaster).

Something I have found interesting, is the longer one prepares, the more they realize that they prefer to be living a more self-reliant lifestyle. That is, a lifestyle where they can depend on themselves and their abilities to care for themselves and their family independently. This is the purpose of 52-Weeks to Preparedness; to equip those with skills and supplies to survive on their own.

There are many disasters out there, some more likely, some far-fetched, but possible. I started preparing for hurricanes and tropical storms because I live in an area where that threat exists. However, I extended my preparedness supply to prepare for other disasters that may effect my life. In my personal opinion, I would prefer to be ready for as many disasters as possible. What about you?

we live in the heart of tornado alley,,so we have a year’s supply set up,and laied out map to stay off major road’s.get a good GPS,and map’s,,a compass will help a lot,,2 way radio’s,cell phone’s with a solar charger plus one for your laptop.CB in your truck/car also,will come in real handy..RAY

The ‘takers’ re-elected OBAMA…with all the voter fraud…he and Valerie Jarrett probably know exactly who voted for him and who did not! The USA as she has been is, pretty much, TOAST!
That’s what we know that you Euros don’t know!

I am so happy to find this site! Thank you Tess for such a well researched presentation. Dividing the information into 52 weeks makes it not so overwhelming to tackle.

A note to Wouter: In an urban society we are all used to someone else helping us out immediately without the thought of, one day, there might not be anyone to show up because of a large scale disaster.

I live in the Northeast where it is said, “Just look outside to see what the weather is doing!”, because it changes so often. But in my 53 years I have NEVER experienced a year like last year. We had an earthquake that actually caused some damage, severe micro bursts that were of tornado strength that caused lots of structural damage and many downed limbs, and unusual to this area – an actual tornado that was on the ground for almost 40 miles that leveled everything in it’s path causing the electricity to be out for four days, we had a sweltering hot summer, a severe hurricane and THEN at the end of October an early heavy snow fall that overnight brought down limbs, whole trees and electrical lines. The whole Northeast was out of power for a week or more. The temperature unseasonably dropped to freezing for a week.

I have asthma and can not take the cold. Hours after the electricity went off I set out for the hospital emergency room only to find no way out of town due to the rapid heavy snowfall. The roads were not plowed, with electrical lines across them, trees sagging over the road with their limbs almost touching the ground, and the constant sound of huge limbs cracking and breaking under the weight of the snow. It was terrifying.

Needless to say, I ended up in a town shelter for the week while neighbors stayed in their homes because they had generators. I had to come home to attend to a pet during the day. Never would I have believed that this could happen here. May it never happen again, but now I will be prepared. Thank you again for this invaluable information!

I just came upon this site and will start at Week 1. I pray that we will never need this. But, 2 years ago, we lost power for 2 days in January. I still don’t know how we managed. Thank you for this site.

This is a great idea, I have a similar post on my site, but it only goes 6 months. Many people get overwhelmed when they start prepping, and want to do it all immediately. Your 52 week program helps with that. Thanks for showing people that true preparedness is a marathon and not a sprint. Keep up the great work

my wife and I have been building up our supplies for over a year now..we have a lot on hand,,food,,tool’s,,water supply,,medical supplies,,survival book’s,,bug out trailor packed,,basement shelter item’s,,extra fuel,,propane stove,latern’s,mre’s,bedding,clothing,cooking equipment,sanitary item’s,lot’s of paper item’s,BUT I am sure there are thing’s we have forgotten..will be looking forward to up-coming list..

It is nice to know there are others that have been preparing like my husband and I. We have been for over five years. My husband has been saying longing then that something is coming. We have been for six years warning friends and family and have finally quit,cause they think we are crazy. We moved from TX to Wa in the woods. At times I would think maybe we were crazy,but now I see even better!

Two of the best resources forHomebirth are Spiritual Midwifery by Ina May Gaskin, and Emergency Childbirth by Gregory White MD…there is also Heart and Hands bY Elizabeth Davis. In the event that the SHTF, a Certified Professional Midwife would probably be the best choice for a birth attendant, as they are familiar with working out of hospital and know how to prevent many problems, and can help with twins, breech and Vaginal birth after cesarean.you can look up Midwives Alliance of North America for the CPMs nearest you…Cathi Cogle, CPM

There is something that needs to be emphasized here that most preppers don’t consider. To protect what you have, survive and thrive, you need an organization of people with skills. I recently exchanged emails with a well known and well healed prepper who has been featured on TV. In the event of a complete societal meltdown, he is quite prepared for his family to survive. But what about after that? When he and is wife are old and his children are middle aged, who would look after them when they get old. Groups are necessary for protection – you do need to sleep, firepower, work and chores, foraging and scavenging – and mental well being. Of course you need personalities who can endure and grow in the worst of times to maintain that high level of morale. A determined group though can keep you up day and night without relief unless you have sufficient personnel to defend against them. So consider organizing like minded people to join. Find out your skills, what you can bring to the table, what you need, and your purchasing ability to get those things in a very short period of time. Then how do you gather to provide shelter and security? The logistics can be daunting. I have estimated that 90% of people would not survive the first six months. The surivors would have to contend with a ecosystem devastated and polluted, and the attendent disease and insects that would affect health and planting for at least a year or two. But websites like this are a great place to start.

Thank you, Don for your comment and I completely agree with you on how essential it is to have a dependable group and community. My hope is that with the information presented in this series, readers will be able to take the information they have gathered and use it to enhance their preparedness journey, as well as share it with others who are like-minded. Perhaps, if those individuals find themselves in an emergency situation, they will come together and have a successful group.

Thank you again for your comment and best of luck in your prepping endeavors.

Great book, Don! And you’re right, the original Reader’s Digest editions are now out of print, but the book lives on in the 3rd edition, independently edited and sold on Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Back-Basics-Complete-Traditional-Edition/dp/1602392331/

I want to thank all of the people who have commented in such a helpful way! I must say I feel a bit overwhelmed at the amount of preparation needed to be self-reliant! We have been living such a ‘cushy’ life compared to what it will be like when we are on our own!

In the event of airborne chemicals (perhaps the stuff from the chem-trails too) what would be the best advice? It is difficult to seal ALL the draughts from the windows, or those window air-conditioners, so what would experts say on this? Gas masks? Which would be the best ones? Any for pets??
I’ve just bought the Reader’s Digest book mentioned, so thank you very much for the link to it! There still seems to be more available at the moment.
All the people here sound like they would make a great group if it came to it. Thanks again for all the wonderful advice!

Tess, Leslie wasn’t talking about anything YOU or TJ said she was refereing to Janet’s “Idiot” comment, TJ had a nice thoughtful comment/explanation and Janet replied with “idiot” for no apparently reason/need other than to be hateful, Leslie was coming to TJ’s defense.
Good article btw.

Hey, I live in the mountains of West Virginia and having storms that cut off any transportation and power grid is not uncommon. The storage of fuel for my big diesel generator is difficult and expensive. I contacted a company that produces mineral oil and was able to acquire oil at 27 cents a gal. This is a byproduct of their normal operation and is sent to steel factories and such to burn in there furnaces. You must have a diesel engine (oil burner furnace) and you need to know your states laws on emission. Yet in national emergences not so much. Mineral oil has so many uses that I just wanted to share one with you.

Not sure where this should be posted. So if you like to move it to another location feel free
Thanks jim

Hey guys how long will this 52 week prep last if its just one person. I have my wife my 3 year old child and myself in my family so ill just do the math and times it by 3. imm just trying to see how long this will last if any one can help that would be amazing ty

It’s hard finding a group. I know preppers who have been searching for years to find like-minded people in their area. I know that some preppers have gone as far as to get on Craigslist and even joined groups at MeetUp.com to try and find possible group members. Another possibility is to get on prepping forums and talk and develop online relationships with other forum members.

Tess, Thank you for all the valuable information you provide. I have a question I hope you or someone else can answer. Many prepper websites state that there has been an executive order signed giving the government the power to take food/preps from individuals in an emergency situation. Is this the truth or just hype? Do we need to be hiding our food storage and do you think this kind of action would be tolerated in America? Thank you for any information you can provide.

I love this site and the product offered. In these hard economic times, all of these principles can be applied to help any household on any budget to be frugal and save money and stretch income to the fullest. There are activities that help families to save money, but better yet, to make memories and bring them closer together.

I’m so happy to hear that you’re enjoying the 52 Weeks to Preparedness series. We are working on converting it into an ebook and it will be downloadable at that point. It should be on the market in the next month or so, so stay tuned!

Glad I found this! I’ve been looking for material on home invasion. I live in a rural area that has been safe(I thought). There was a home invasion a few weeks ago that left a woman dead. I’ve read lots of articles that say the same thing. Dog, motion lights and better locks. I’m looking for more to do with securing my wooded 10 acres (If possible). I guess I’m looking for more early warning ideas before they get to my door.

If anyone knows of any sites or articles, I would love to know about them.

TJ is spot on when it come to comms. Ham radio has proven esential to any disaster event when normal comms go down.

In a extended event or SHTF event, being able to communicate will be esential to your well being.

Getting licensed is very easy as kids as young a 7-8 are passing tests. All questions and answers are published by the FCC.

For those who thnik they will just buy a radio and not get licensed and then expect to turn it and and talk or delusional. Its not a microwave or a toaster.

It takes practice to learn how to use it and having made “friends” so you actually have a “network of hams” already established before an event will serve you well. Getting inforamtion for across the country or the world might just keep you alive.

Study for the Technition and General class license at the same time as this gives you access to all the short range UHF/VHF repeaters and simplex operation while the General Class ticket give you access to world wode comms on HF(high frequency)

While HAM radios are good for outside communication, 40 channel CB base and handhelds are good for communications under 2 miles, and would be vital to local security. In the event of an ECM attack, unless they are shielded, none will be much good to you. In that case, you need an old fashioned hard line communication system that will string wire and not use any modern electronics. Two tin cans and a string so to speak.

WE8y The Last years I would be so lacking in cash and debts were eating me from all angles! That was Right Until i found out how to make money on the internet! I landed on surveymoneymaker period net, and started doing surveys for money, and yes! i have been really more able to get around financialy!! i am so happy, that I did this! – FgBJ

My goal is to become a vegetarian. Since it’s not likely
that I will be leading a milk cow down the endtime road, I will also not be
partaking of dairy. Be healthy and prepared for foraging. Learning what I can
safely eat in the wild. It stands to reason once all the ammunition is used and
wild life becomes scarce a person will need new skills. Learn how to find water
and salt. Also learn shelter preparation. These skills are important if people
become transit or nomad in nature. There
are so many things that are eatable you probably never thought of.

I know this is an older thread, but I’m in the SF Bay Area right now prepping for the earthquake/inevitable fire/El Nino. I came across this both extensive and basic information, it is SO helpful. Thank you. It is unrealistic for us to have a one-year supply of survival stuff, although I’d love to have it, I’m going to prep for as long a length as possible, food, water, warmth and dry. My biggest concern isn’t fire or earthquake however, we have bug-out bags with the best I can do, kept in our cars. The bug out bags are primarily for if our house catches fire and we have to run out, or leave until the floods go down. This site kept me from getting overwhelmed and spending hundreds to buy stuff I have around the house.

Thanks for sharing this. I think it could also be useful for everyone to know how and where to fill a form online. Maybe you would be interested in an online service with a ton of Form templates (tax, real estate, legal, business, insurance forms, etc..) I used it to fill out https://goo.gl/bdLFIv